On Tuesday evening, Parliament and Council negotiators reached a provisional agreement on the EU’s first ever directive harmonising criminal laws to fight corruption, strengthening efforts to prevent, prosecute and punish offences across the EU.

A more coherent EU approach to address emerging corruption risks

By establishing EU-wide definitions, sanctions, and clearer operational rules, the directive will help address situations where offenders exploit differences between national systems.

During the negotiations, Parliament ensured that EU-wide corruption data will be published annually in accessible formats, improving transparency and supporting evidence-based policymaking. As per Parliament’s demands, the directive also requires every member state to publish a national anti-corruption strategy, developed in consultation with civil society and the relevant authorities.

Stronger tools for deterrence

The directive sets harmonised definitions for offences such as bribery,…